• Man, as a social animal, is also a religious or spiritual being, with religion being a major and deep concern.
• Religion is a universal, permanent, pervasive, and perennial interest of humanity.
• Along with biological, economic, and social needs, humans also have a religious need or quest, leading to restlessness beyond physical needs.
• The Biblical saying “Man cannot live by bread alone” highlights the importance of religious fulfillment.
• From the earliest times, man has been incurably religious.
• Religion is timeless and its beginning is unknown, with evidence of religious practices dating back to the Neanderthal man.
• Religion is a universal institution found in all societies, both past and present, though religious beliefs and practicesvary.
• In addition to laws, customs, and conventions, religion and morality are the most influential forces of social control, shaping human behavior.
• The social life of humans includes not only economic, political, philosophical, and scientific aspects, but also a religious aspect.
• Religious dogmas have significantly influenced economic endeavors, political movements, property dealings, education, ideologies, scientific inventions, and artistic developments.
• Religion, based on the cultural needs of humans, has added a new dimension to human life and development.
• Religion centers around faith in supernatural forces and is closely tied to emotions like fear, awe, or reverence.
• Many societies have institutions connected to religion, including officials, worship forms, ceremonies, sacred objects, tithes, and pilgrimages.
• In modern societies, religious leaders develop theories or theologies to explain man’s place in the universe.
• Religion is closely linked to morality, with detailed rules of conduct.
• Major world religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are cultural systems that have dominated societies for centuries.

DEFINITIONS AND THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF RELIGION

• Religion is a universal phenomenon, but it is understood differently by different people, from great religious leadersto ordinary individuals.
• There is no consensus on the nature of religion, and sociologists have yet to find a satisfactory explanation.
• Durkheim defines religion in The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life as a “unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things,” meaning things that are set apart and forbidden.
• James G. Frazer, in The Golden Bough, views religion as a belief in “powers superior to man” believed to direct and control the course of nature and human life.
• Edward Sapir, an American anthropologist, says the essence of religion is “man’s never-ceasing attempt to discover a road to spiritual serenity across the perplexities and dangers of daily life.”
• Maciver and Page define religion as a relationship not only between man and man but also between man and some higher power.
• Ogburn defines religion as “an attitude towards superhuman powers.”
• Max Muller defines religion as “a mental faculty or disposition that enables man to apprehend the infinite.”
• Thomas F. O’Dea, a functional theorist, defines religion as “the manipulation of non-empirical or supra-empiricalmeans for non-empirical or supra-empirical ends.”
• O’Dea adds that religion offers a way of entering into a relationship with supra-empirical aspects of reality, whether conceived as God, gods, or otherwise.

Basic Components of Religion

• Religion is based on belief in supernatural or superhuman forces.
• People who believe in multiple forces are called polytheists, while those who believe in only one force or God are called monotheists.
• Man’s adjustment with supernatural forces involves believing he is at their mercy, and he expresses his subordination through prayers, hymns, and other acts. Worship is central to religion.
• Disrespect or negligence of supernatural forces is believed to bring disaster, and people strive to adjust themselves with divinity through one-sided efforts.
• Religion defines certain acts as righteous and sacred while others are considered sinful and profane.
• Acts in accordance with religious codes are considered righteous, leading to good results, while sinful acts lead to disaster.
• Durkheim suggests that a distinction between the sacred and the profane exists in all societies.
• The concepts of heaven and hell are tied to righteous and sinful acts.
• Salvation is the ultimate goal in religion.
  • Buddhists seek Nirvana, a state of oneness with God.
  • Hindus seek Mukti or Moksha, release from the cycle of birth and death.
  • Hindus prescribe four paths to salvation: Yoga Marga, Jnana Marga, Bhakti Marga, and Karma Marga.